Coaches' PollLAS VEGAS - Defending WAC champion Louisiana Tech has been named the favorite in the 2012 Western Athletic Conference football coaches poll announced today at the league's football preview being held in Las Vegas. Utah State was picked second, while San Jose State finished third.

Louisiana Tech finished last season with an 8-5 record and won the WAC regular season title with a mark of 6-1. The Bulldogs played TCU in last year's San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, its second bowl game in the last four years.

Utah State was 7-6 last year and finished in a tie for second in the WAC with a 5-2 mark. The Aggies played in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl last season, its first bowl appearance since 1997.

Louisiana Tech received 36 points from the seven WAC coaches. Utah State was in second with 31 points followed by San Jose State with 24. New Mexico State was selected fourth with 22 points followed by Idaho with 17 points. Newcomers Texas State (10) and UTSA (7) were sixth and seventh, respectively.

The following is the complete 2012 WAC football coaches' poll (coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams):

Coaches' Poll

Rank

Team (1st place votes)

Points

1.

Louisiana Tech (6)

36

2.

Utah State (1)

31

3.

San Jose State

24

4.

New Mexico State

22

5.

Idaho

17

6.

Texas State

10

7.

UTSA

7

Media Poll
Louisiana Tech has been named the favorite in the Western Athletic Conference football media poll announced today at the conference's Football Preview being held in Las Vegas. The Bulldogs were 8-5 last year and finished with a 6-1 mark in conference play to win the WAC's outright title. It was their second WAC title since joining the league.

Louisiana Tech received 193 points and 25 first-place votes from media members around the WAC and the nation. Utah State was picked second after garnering 164 points and the remaining three first-place votes. San Jose State finished third with 130 points while Idaho was selected fourth with 102 points followed by New Mexico State (95), Texas State (57) and UTSA (43).

The media also voted on preseason players of the year. Louisiana Tech wide receiver Quinton Patton was voted the Offensive Player of the Year, while San Jose State defensive lineman Travis Johnson was picked as the Defensive Player of the Year.

Patton, a senior from LaVergne, Tenn. (Coffeyville CC), was a first-team all-WAC selection last year after catching 79 passes for 1,202 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season with the Bulldogs. Johnson, a native of San Jose, Calif. (The King's Academy), earned first-team all-WAC honors after finishing second in the WAC with 9.5 sacks last year. He enters this season with 19 career sacks, the third most of any active player in the country.

The following is the complete 2012 WAC football media poll with first-place votes in parentheses: